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Two new SU Awards categories introduced  

24/03/2022
Two new SU Awards categories introduced  

The Students' Union Awards is an opportunity for students to show recognition and celebrate the achievements of University staff, SU Staff and their fellow students that have helped make their life at the University better. It's with this in mind that two new categories have been introduced this year to recognise placement providers that have a positive impact on the student journey.   

The University of Wolverhampton has a long-established commitment to developing people and place. Students and graduates contribute to our place by living, studying and working within our region, and many of our courses also include a local placement. Our students tell us that their placement-based experiences can be life-changing through efforts from the provider to enhance the learning experience.  

This is why the Students' Union, in collaboration with the University's PACE project, have launched two new award categories this year. Students can nominate individuals and placement areas who have positively impacted their student journey.   

Carrie Eagleton, SU School Rep for Nursing Walsall and Burton Campus's, said;

"These new SU Awards categories will allow students to recognise the influence and inspiration of external individuals and teams, who in some cases contribute a large chunk of their learning experience within the duration of their course. These awards categories are also a fantastic way for students to feel empowered to give feedback on what they view excellent learning experiences as equal partners."  

Clare Dickens MBE, PACE Project Lead, said;

"There were many examples of practice-based experiences which students described in their own words as exceptional. Examples included welcome packages for students, learning opportunities plotted against their core business, and where students instantly felt like they were valued and that they belonged. We need to celebrate these areas, celebrate them with recognition, and give credit where it is due: but also taking those ingredients and making them standard practice. We have used these as the basis of the nomination call."  

Placement Provider of the Year  

  • Consistently offer excellent learning opportunities to students.   
  • Reflect our University commitment to nurturing an inclusive and wellbeing conscious environment where students can flourish and grow their capabilities.   
  • Make students feel welcome as part of the team and enhance their sense of belonging and emerging professional and occupational identities. 
  • Work with students as active partners to enhance the learning experiences within their context, always striving to improve what they offer    

Outstanding contribution to the student placement experience  

  • Strives to get to know students as individuals so that they can tailor their learning to their needs.    
  • Will go the extra mile to ensure students take every opportunity from the placement experience. 
  • Offers timely, compassionate, and constructive feedback to students.   
  • Motivates and inspires students to reach their potential by using their own expertise to add valuable experiences, to enhance students' learning.  
  • Are easy to approach if a student is experiencing any difficulties offering a safe space to discuss individual needs.   

The University's Office for Students funded PACE project is progressing incredibly well. At the heart of the project is a desire to co-explore and co-produce with students from inception to outputs.   

Some of the insights gained from students' experiences have included a series of "what ifs". Here, students were asked for teaching, systems, and culture-based improvements they feel would better prepare and support them whilst engaged in practice or placement-based learning.   

One "what if" that emerged from nursing and primary education students covered the content and recognition for practice partners, where it was posed: "What if all of the great experiences we have heard about, happened on every occasion, what if every student felt welcomed, wanted and that they mattered, what if we could celebrate and be empowered to nominate the practice and placement areas that nail student learning so well, what if we could find a way to tell practice partners what students value and what we need."   

Several recommendations and developments have emerged from this "what if," which included the introduction of two new Students' Union Awards categories that will allow students to nominate placement providers and individuals for their excellence in placement-based learning support and provision.   

The SU Awards event will take place on Thursday, 26 May 2022, and further information is available on the Student's Union website.  

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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